What else do I need?? Oppinions pls....

[BlkTechChica]

Hi! So I want to start a basic home studio to record vocals only at this time. I want to leave my options open to possibly more. Right now, I am absolutely trying to record vocals with a decent clean sound but not using astronomically priced equip. I'm just starting up and honestly I don't know much about recording outside of using protools.... So this is a forewarning to excuse any ignorance! However, I'm a linux systems admin by trade so..... I'm a pretty technical female by nature and also I'm up to the challenge. At this point I'm just not sure of what all I should buy. I guess I'm trying to place emphasis on the fact that I want the outcome of a decent sound, but I'm no pro so I don't want to go buying expensive equipment that will not be of much use to me because of my skill level... I have some things and I'm trying to fill in the rest that I need so I can start recording... Here's where I REALLY REALLY need help! Any tips, advice, or suggestions are appreciated. So now I have...

a new Digidesign Digi 003 Rack Factory Pro Tools LE System --this is on a new 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo imac

also have Digidesign Mbox 2 Mini (will probably sell, because I'm going to use the 003 instead. PLEASE give me your opinions on this???) -- This is on a Mac too (G4)

mic- I have a Rhodes NT1000
I should probably get something else??? Not sure, I bought it because a studio I went to was using this and I liked the sound, but I know the sound is not only dependent upon this. What are other good, but inexpensive vocal mics?

Need a good mic preamp (right??? or would the mic preamps in the 003 rack be enough for vocals?) If not, can anyone offer any good BUT inexpensive ones to buy to use with the 003 rack?

Need monitors (can anyone offer any good BUT inexpensive ones to purchase) Are the M-Audio ones any good?

Do I really have to buy some expensive headphones for the vocal booth?

And do I really need a vocal booth in the first place..... I have a spare bedroom I was going to use for recording only.... I live in an apt that has sound proofing in the outside walls in the first place...

Also, do I need anything else??? So I think this was the best section to put this in... Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[mixsit]

.. I guess I'm trying to place emphasis on the fact that I want the outcome of a decent sound, but I'm no pro so I don't want to go buying expensive equipment that will not be of much use to me because of my skill level...

And do I really need a vocal booth in the first place..... I have a spare bedroom I was going to use for recording only.... I live in an apt that has sound proofing in the outside walls in the first place...

You'll want to be able to do some room control. That could be as simple as some fabric wrapped fiberglass panels, perhaps some in the form of movable gobo panels so that you can section off -for a mic/booth area or not. Consider a few hung overhead to catch the ceiling at least in you primary micing spot.
But really, being able to tighten or open up' to the room sound in one micing situation to the next and knocking the room tone down in general will have way more impact than which pres' and such.
And some decent headphones. One that sounds fairly true and natural to you. Headphone tones are all over the map.

 

[jdier]

Hi! So I want to start a basic home studio to record vocals only at this time. I want to leave my options open to possibly more. Right now, I am absolutely trying to record vocals with a decent clean sound but not using astronomically priced equip. I'm just starting up and honestly I don't know much about recording outside of using protools.... So this is a forewarning to excuse any ignorance! However, I'm a linux systems admin by trade so..... I'm a pretty technical female by nature and also I'm up to the challenge. At this point I'm just not sure of what all I should buy. I guess I'm trying to place emphasis on the fact that I want the outcome of a decent sound, but I'm no pro so I don't want to go buying expensive equipment that will not be of much use to me because of my skill level... I have some things and I'm trying to fill in the rest that I need so I can start recording... Here's where I REALLY REALLY need help! Any tips, advice, or suggestions are appreciated. So now I have...

a new Digidesign Digi 003 Rack Factory Pro Tools LE System --this is on a new 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo imac

also have Digidesign Mbox 2 Mini (will probably sell, because I'm going to use the 003 instead. PLEASE give me your opinions on this???) -- This is on a Mac too (G4)

mic- I have a Rhodes NT1000
I should probably get something else??? Not sure, I bought it because a studio I went to was using this and I liked the sound, but I know the sound is not only dependent upon this. What are other good, but inexpensive vocal mics?

Need a good mic preamp (right??? or would the mic preamps in the 003 rack be enough for vocals?) If not, can anyone offer any good BUT inexpensive ones to buy to use with the 003 rack?

Need monitors (can anyone offer any good BUT inexpensive ones to purchase) Are the M-Audio ones any good?

Do I really have to buy some expensive headphones for the vocal booth?

And do I really need a vocal booth in the first place..... I have a spare bedroom I was going to use for recording only.... I live in an apt that has sound proofing in the outside walls in the first place...

Also, do I need anything else??? So I think this was the best section to put this in... Thanks in advance for any advice.

Personally, if in your situation, I would buy an FMR RNP (or use the 003's... I hesitate only because I have never used the 003, someone smarter than me may say that they are as good as the RNP.)

Then I would pick up an SM7 mic. I do not know the Rode mic other than by name, but my go to is either an SM7 for rock or an AKG414 for softer vocals.

I would buy cheap headphones... (harvey gerst more me's work perfectly for me)

For monitors I would say go big or go home.. well not really... if you do not want to shell out big bucks for monitors you can use a home stereo (a nice one like NAD or Denon or HK from the 80's when they were still made in Japan) and some decent bookshelf 2 ways. If you want a step up, buy some used NS-10s but they are getting harder to find.

I did the home stereo + NS10s and have never upgraded from them I like em so much.


I mixed this album with the NS10's in my living room through a $40 ebay denon receiver and the mastering engineer said the mix sounded good to him.

http://www.americana-uk.com/auk/mod...me=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=3693

Hope this helps.

Jim

 

[BlkTechChica]

Thanks so much mixsit and jdier!....

I will look into some panels for sectioning of an area to record in.

Someone else suggested the SM7 mic to me too so I think i'll grab one of those today.

Any other suggestions...

thanks

 

[Squarebiscuit]

what blows me away is that u haven't even started yet on your recordings and you have an 003 rack with a rhodes mic. thats pretty awesome for starting out, when i started i had a 100 dollar 6 channel usb 1.1 mixer with a set of mics costing a grand total of 50 dollars. it looks like all you need is a nice preamp. I would go with a focusrite trackmaster pro or a presonus unit like the eureka but not the 100 tube ones that they sell because those aren't very good